Bengal makes changes in police ranks, health dept after CM-doctors meeting

The West Bengal government on Tuesday effected a reshuffle in the Health and Police departments as announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after her meeting with the agitating junior doctors.

Senior IPS officer Manoj Kumar Verma was made the new commissioner of Kolkata Police, replacing Vineet Goyal, according to a notification.

Goyal, a 1994 batch officer who was under fire over handling of the rape and murder of the doctor at the RG Kar hospital, was made the ADG and IGP of West Bengal Police's Special Task Force (STF).

One of the agitating junior doctors said they had seen the government order and would announce the future course of their movement following a meeting among themselves.

"Our general body will meet, and then we will take a decision on whether to continue our cease work," he said.

Verma, the new commissioner who belonged to the 1998 batch, was the ADG and IGP (Law & Order) in his last assignment.

Jawed Shamim was made the ADG and IGP (Law & Order). He was the ADG and IGP (IB), and Gyanwant Singh was brought in his place.

The state government also removed Director of Health Services (DHS) Debashis Halder and Director of Medical Education (DME) Kaustav Nayak.

Swapan Soren was appointed the interim DHS, while Suparna Dutta was made the officer on special duty of medical education.

Halder was posted as the officer on special duty of public health at Swasthya Bhawan, and Nayak was appointed the director of the Institute of Health and Family Welfare.

The state government also removed Kolkata Police's DC (North) Abhishek Gupta and brought in Dipak Sarkar from the Siliguri Police in his place. Gupta was made CO of EFR 2nd Batallion.

The junior doctors have been protesting for the last 39 days over the rape and murder of their colleague, affecting healthcare services at state-run hospitals.

The chief minister met the junior doctors on Monday evening to break the deadlock after multiple failed attempts, and as per their demand, announced the changes in the police ranks and the Health Department.